🔧 Tucson - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

Replacing your rear brake pads and rotors restores safe stopping power and prevents grinding, vibration, and uneven braking. You’ll remove the rear calipers, swap the rotors, install new pads/hardware, and then verify pedal feel before a careful test drive.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support your Tucson with jack stands; never rely on a jack alone.
• 🛑 Let brakes cool fully; rotors/calipers can burn you.
• 🛑 Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed.
• 🛑 Keep grease off pad/rotor friction surfaces; use brake cleaner if you touch them.
• 🛑 Parking brake must be released before removing rear calipers/rotors.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 1/2" drive torque wrench (20-150 ft-lbs)
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Phillips #3 screwdriver
• Flat trim/pry tool
• Caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty)
• Bungee cord
• Wire brush
• Rubber mallet
• Catch pan
• Brake cleaner
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear pad hardware kit (clips/abutments) - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease (high-temp silicone) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 quart

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, steering straight, and place wheel chocks in front of the front wheels.
• Release the parking brake fully before starting rear brake work.
• Loosen rear lug nuts slightly before lifting (do not remove yet).
• If your Tucson has an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), the rear calipers may need to be put into service mode before pushing the pistons back.

Quick check (1 question): Does your Tucson have a parking brake button/switch (EPB) or a foot pedal/hand lever? If you’re not sure, I’ll give you both methods below.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar to loosen (crack loose) the rear lug nuts about 1/2 turn.
• Lift the rear with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the rear center jacking point.
• Set the rear onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) at the rear pinch welds or approved stand points.
• Remove the wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Locate the caliper, bracket, and rotor

• Look at the rear brake assembly: the caliper clamps the pads, the bracket holds the pads, and the rotor is the round disc.
• Take a quick photo for reference.

Step 3: Remove the caliper

• Use a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet to remove the two caliper slide bolts.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket.
• Hang the caliper from the suspension using a bungee cord (do not let it hang by the hose).

Step 4: Retract the rear caliper piston (important)

• Rear pistons commonly need to be turned while being pushed in because the parking brake mechanism is built into the caliper.
• Use a caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty) to rotate and press the piston in slowly until it bottoms out. (This tool is a cube/plate that turns the piston while you push.)
• Place a catch pan under the caliper area in case brake fluid rises/overflows at the master cylinder.
• If the piston will not retract, stop and confirm whether you have EPB (see Step 4B below).

Step 4B: If equipped with EPB (Electronic Parking Brake)

• Do not force the piston in if your Tucson uses EPB.
• Put the EPB into service mode using a compatible scan tool (procedure wording varies by tool). Use the tool’s Parking Brake Service Mode function, then retract both rear actuators.
• After service mode is active, use the caliper piston wind-back tool (specialty) to retract the piston as needed.

Step 5: Remove the pads and the bracket

• Slide the old pads out of the bracket by hand. Use a flat trim/pry tool if they’re stuck.
• Use a 17mm socket and breaker bar to remove the caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the bracket.

Step 6: Remove the rotor

• If your rotor has a retaining screw, remove it with a Phillips #3 screwdriver.
• Pull the rotor straight off. If it’s seized, tap the rotor hat with a rubber mallet to break it free.
• Clean the hub face with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner to prevent rotor wobble.

Step 7: Install the new rotor

• Spray both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove shipping oil.
• Install the rotor onto the hub. Reinstall the retaining screw (if equipped) using a Phillips #3 screwdriver snug.
• Use one lug nut hand-tight to hold rotor flush.

Step 8: Service the bracket and install new hardware

• Remove old pad clips/abutments from the bracket using a flat trim/pry tool.
• Clean pad contact points on the bracket with a wire brush, then spray with brake cleaner.
• Install the new hardware clips from the rear pad hardware kit.

Step 9: Reinstall the bracket

• Reinstall the caliper bracket and start bolts by hand.
• Tighten using a 17mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 98 Nm (72 ft-lbs) for the rear caliper bracket bolts.

Step 10: Install new pads and grease the slide pins

• Apply a thin film of brake caliper slide pin grease (high-temp silicone) to the slide pins (not the threads). Reinstall pins if removed.
• Install the new pads into the bracket.
• Use only a tiny amount of grease on pad “ears” where they touch the clips (avoid the pad face).

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Set the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide bolts using a 14mm socket and torque wrench.
• Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs) for the rear caliper slide bolts.

Step 12: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 3 through 11 on the opposite rear side using the same tools.
• Always do brakes in pairs.

Step 13: Reinstall wheels and lower

• Reinstall wheels and hand-thread lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
• Torque to 110 Nm (81 ft-lbs) for the wheel lug nuts.

Step 14: Restore pedal feel

• Before starting the engine, press the brake pedal 10-15 times until it feels firm.
• Check brake fluid level; top off with DOT 3 brake fluid if needed (do not overfill).

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✅ After Repair

• With the vehicle on the ground, start the engine and confirm the brake pedal stays firm.
• Perform a slow test drive in a safe area; check for noises and verify straight stopping.
• Bed-in (break-in) the pads: do 6-10 moderate stops from ~30 mph to ~5 mph, letting brakes cool a bit between stops.
• If equipped with EPB service mode, exit service mode using your scan tool after both sides are complete.
• Recheck brake fluid level after the test drive.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$850 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $150-$350 (parts only)

You Save: $300-$500 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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